Before you vote...

Rajendra Kshetri *

Voting for 16th Lok Sabha election 2014 at Imphal on 17 April 2014 :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam

General Assembly Election comes once in every five years. Election may come. Election may go.

But the electorate will go on electing, time and time again, the same and /or the same-like candidates/persons with dubious/criminal records/characters as their representatives.

No wonder, every elected representative, every successive Government have failed, miserably in that, to provide the most basic needs/requirements of the people. Yes, one is referring here to the availability, rather non- availability, of safe drinking potable water in every leikai of the Greater Imphal area, let alone the entire State.

Water, quality water, is the Elixir of life. Non- availability of the same has serious implications on the well-being and health of the people. Come to think of it, this place called Manipur is a God- gifted land where seasonal rainfall is more than adequate and receive plentiful of rain water.

You don't need rocket science to harvest rain water and supply drinking water to inhabitants of the land. Nature has been/is so kind to this land of Sanaleibak and blessed her people with bountiful of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.

You don't need a 'Smart City' Project to harness the natural resources and make drinking water accessible to the people. What is the point of 'Smart City ' when people are hard-pressed for want of clean water for domestic consumption ?

For the last fifty years of Statehood, promises have been made by politicians to make a 'Better Manipur.' Manifestos have been prepared/released by political parties to fulfil people's aspirations. Five decades down the road, people are still struggling to meet basic needs of life, so the living standard could be upped a tad little more.

Had twenty/thirty per cent of the promises made been kept and implemented, half of the State's chronic problems would have been solved. But then, public memory is short. Questions have never been asked, not even once, as to what promises have been made, which of the promises have been kept.

Who is to ask/remind the public if they realize promises, especially political promises, have been made/are made only to be unkept.

How is one to convince the electorate the truth in what Charles De Gaulle said "Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word". And "politics is too serious to be left to the politicians ". Is it any wonder then that people keep voting, time and again, for the same old-tested politicians.

There was a time when I blame politicians of the land for the miserable plight of the people, for all the problems faced by the public. Now I no longer blame politicians. I would rather blame the people because 'dumb politicians are not the problem. The problem is the dumb people that keep voting for them'.

With only a few more days to go to the poll for the 12th General Assembly Election of Manipur 2022, I can only hope that the electorate are, this time, wise enough to NOT repeat past mistakes.

BEFORE YOU VOTE, Consider the following:

1. Ask yourself, how come your incumbent Representative who didn't even have a decent/presentable house, not to mention four wheelers, NOW have a Palatial house/Bungalow, multiple Farms plus a couple of SUVs?

2. If your incumbent Representative is known to have criminal records/corrupt practices, BETTER Choose a New Face.

3. ELECTION IS NOT JUST ABOUT CASTING YOUR VOTE. IT IS MORE ABOUT CHOOSING THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE(S) IN TERMS OF EDUCATION, EXPOSURE, INTEGRITY, MORALITY AND VISION.

4. Whether you shall make heaven out of hell or hell out of heaven depends entirely on your choice of Candidates.

Remember, You Have The POWER. Given by the Constitution of India.

End Note (to my dear fellow Manipuris):

It is with an air of optimism that I shall keep my Date with the Polling Day on 28th February 2022 . Hope you and electorate of 2nd phase on 5th March will too.

Happy Voting.